A Clichéd Holiday
by Fandom Muppet
Summary: Happy AU basically. It took a lot of work for Dean to get Zeke and Cas in the same home for the holidays. What happens as a result of Cas being there is not something he would expect.


**I wrote a happy AU. Basically everyone behaves themselves and we get a happy Winchester Christmas. I wrote this with all my wonderful tumblr friends in mind. You guys are amazing and fantastic people and I am glad I met you guys! I spent my entire afternoon pretty much working on this. Therefore please don't kill me for any of my errors or anything else.**

**I own nothing but my own ideas. Reviews are not necessary but appreciated. Thank you for taking the time to read this and Happy Holidays! I'll try to post either tomorrow or on Boxing Day because this isn't quite done yet. If it's not then than expect one on New Years.**

* * *

Since Cas was allowed back home, Dean had been happy. It wasn't easy to convince Zeke but even if it was temporary it was better than nothing. It took a lot of convincing on Dean's part but if Cas could be here even for a bit? Then he would count every second as a win. Cas had taken even longer to convince than Zeke but it had worked out with the mention of Sam. There would be no longer worrying so much about him, where he was, whether the angels got to him, whether something else had gotten to him. Dean found it a relief and another weight off of his mind. Dean frowned. Wait, what had he been thinking about? He shook his head lightly.

Dean's boots crunched against the layer of snow, just outside the bunker. He was carrying a few bags in each hand. Each bag filled with needed things. Okay, The Harry Potter movies weren't needed but they were on sale. And who doesn't like eggnog? Alright not everything in the bags were needed but they were wanted.

His Baby sat a few yards away, a thin sheet of snow had already been sitting on top when he left. Dean had hopped the some of the snow would've come off with the drive but it looked like he was wrong. He made a note to brush it off and shovel around the entrance it later. The last thing they'd need is to be trapped. It seemed like there was too much snow for this time of year anyway. It was more than he was used to anyways.

Maybe it was the fact that Cas was here and safe for the time being, or maybe that Kevin finally looked like he wasn't going to collapse constantly, or that Sam was getting better or anything that had happened. The weight on his chest felt lighter than it had in months. Without any prior realization Dean was smiling softly to himself.

Dean breathed in the chilled, brisk air and opened the bunker door. The bags crinkled as he pushed it open. Dean fumbled for a moment. "I'm back!" He called.

When Dean rounded down towards the stairs he was met with a sight that he couldn't have expected. Hell, who would? Dean took a few steps down the stairs, and stopped to take in everything.

Cas was leaning on his toes, standing precariously on a chair that creaked every time he moved. Cas was angled just slightly away from where Dean was standing. Bits of paper stuck to his clothes as well as bits sitting in his dark hair. Dean's eyes were drawn to the table where Sam would sit or books would be splayed on the surface. Instead of that normal sight there was red, white, and green paper littered it, some even laid on the floor.

"Cas..." Dean's eyes shifted around rapidly around at the main room."What are you doing?" Dean asked, incredulous and surprised.

Cue more staring. The red and green paper rings were strewn up on the bookshelves. Dean squinted. What looked like...paper snowflakes adorned the walls at random spots. Every shred of decoration in sight screamed hand made. Dean took it in with a vague sense of déjà vu from his adolescence years. Finally, Cas seemed to finally stick the latest snowflake to the wall and locked back. The chair creaked in protest to his casual movement.

"I was...hoping to be done before you returned." A slight wince filtered across Cas' features. "It appears I have given myself another paper cut." Cas focused his attention away from Dean and his stare. He fixed his eyes on his hand. "Though that's not the first time that happened since you left." Cas lumbered down off the chair and stepped on the floor.

The former angel turned human brushed off little bits of paper off his front and smiled at Dean. It was just on this side of shy, akin to a child caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Sam was telling me of your holidays in the past and I thought..." He swallowed audibly. "I thought we could do something like what I've seen on the television. I asked Sam about it. We decided it would be a surprise. Of course, we would need decorations for this event." Before Dean could respond the other male spoke quickly. "It was not as easy as it looked."

Dean quickly went down the rest of the steps.

"Do you like it?" Cas asked with hopeful hesitance. He idly twisted his fingers around each other, watching as Dean's eyes swept along everything. At last they landed on an antsy Castiel. Finally, Dean managed a small smile.

The curl of nervous tension that curled in his stomach lessened at Dean's smile.

"Yeah, I like it. Did you put this all up by yourself?" Dean questioned. He placed the bags gently on the table and started to walk around, slowly taking everything again.

"I had Sam's help." The other man answered. "I put it up and he showed me how to do it all."

"He insisted that it had to be hand-made." Cas gestured around. "He showed me how to make the snowflakes too." With dim realization Dean remembered Sam's grade school classes this time of year.

"I trust that this is all okay?"

"Yeah, sure Cas." The suppressed excitement flickered across Castiel's face. Dean couldn't find it in him to regret allowing the other man free reign for whatever holiday plans he had cooked up.

* * *

Dean could feel the eyes on him. Kevin stood at the threshold on the main room, a beaten up notebook in hand. The leftover paper from Cas' redecoration had long been cleared away from the table, now, replaced with something completely new. "Not a word." Dean warned, internally he said he wasn't pouting. Sam was just being stupid and he _wasn't_ pouting.

The fact that he was wearing a tacky Christmas sweater had nothing to do with the downturn of his lips. This red knitted abomination had nothing to do with anything, nor the white outline of an angel plastered on the front. Sam looked cheery despite wearing a red and green sweater but with a tree on the front. On the contrary, Sam seemed to be humming just seconds before. It sounded suspiciously like White Christmas.

"Hello, Kevin." Cas greeted. All three men sat around the table, gingerbread sitting right in front of each man. "Do you want to join us?" He asked.

"Is that gingerbread?" Kevin asked, looking understandably confused and wary. Dean could sympathize. When Cas held out the sweater at first, he was confused. If only Sam hadn't given him the begging look. _'He's trying really hard, Dean!'_ Said Sam. It least Sam was experiencing it all along him but he was enthusiastically cheerful.

Kevin's expression turned from shock to thinly veiled amusement as he eyed up both Sam's and Dean's garments. Sam snorted at Castiel's next words. "I got you a sweater too."

True to his word, Cas held up another sweater, knitted just like Dean and Sam's. "I thought you wouldn't want to be left out." He added unnecessarily. Kevin nodded limply upon seeing the look that Sam gave him. Dean gave Sam a questioning look. "Where did he pull that out from?" He mouthed. Sam just shrugged in response.

Thus, Kevin joined their little party, wearing a red, white, and green stripped sweater. "It's nice..." Kevin said quietly.

In a matter of minutes two of the most dangerous hunters in the States, a Prophet of the Lord, and a fallen angel sat around a table, making a gingerbread house, all while wearing tacky Christmas sweaters.

* * *

Maybe he should draw the line here. After coming back home to a 'festivity' garnishing the walls, being roped into making gingerbread house complete win ginger-men this may be the time to say no.

Okay maybe Cas had looked a bit cute when he held up a ginger-Sam and Dean. But that definitely wasn't the reason he allowed him to do as he wished. Maybe a bit. Dean's smile for the Christmas card (Who were they going to send it to?) wasn't as forced as he thought it would've been.

Sam smiled widely at Dean. "Come on dude, Cas went to all this trouble. You can it least smile for him." Dean tugged at the collar of his sweater in response to Sam. Kevin had slipped away earlier, claiming to be tired. With all his work on deciphering the tablet it could be understood.

Sam tried and failed at not laughing at Dean's face. "Dude, is he seriously expecting us to write to Santa?" Dean glanced incredulously from the paper to Sam. His brother in response to the questions, simply smiled wider. "Dear Santa, dude, really? We're not little kids." Dean added, miffed by the idea.

Dean mistakenly spoke the last part too loudly.

Cas' face fell slightly as a reaction. "It was my understanding that it's what you humans do. You write letters to a man asking for gifts with the reason being that you were nice all year." His head tilted in thought. "Although a good percent of you seem to lie about that. If smashing a television is anything to go by. And the itching power..." Cas trailed off with a thoughtful expression.

Dean snorted and looked at Sam. His brother seemed to be grinning just a bit too much. A certain look showed in his eyes, youthful, something like when they were kids. It was with a pang that Dean realized that this always seemed to be what normal families do. The soft amusement of the whole situation got replaced with a realization that left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Sam didn't know things like this first hand. Dean was young when mom was still alive and Sam definitely did not remember such events, having been a baby when she died. With a twinge of distress at the thought and with an expectant look from Sam, Dean picked up a pen. While Dean knew what home was, Sam didn't. This kind of thing happened in a home.

Dean forced a smile on his face, which Sam answered with a grin of his own. "I'm going to ask for new tools." Dean announced. True to his word Dean started writing on the paper with messy scrawl.

Sam followed suit.

"What's the address for the North Pole?" Cas asked aloud with utter seriousness. Noticing the stares that both Sam and Dean were throwing his way Cas shrugged. "I want it to be as realistic as possible."

Sam started laughing. He didn't stop until he was gasping breathlessly.


End file.
